Truss



1. F. HICKEY'.

Tnuss.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21, U1]. 1,316,614.

RENEWED AUG. 14. 1919.

Patented Sept. 23

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T OFFICE.

JOHN F. HICKEY, or EVERETT, ivrnssAcnusnrrs.

TRUSS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 23, 1919.

Application filed November 21, 1917, Serial No. 203,214. Renewed August 14, 1919. Serial No. 317,591.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. Hrc nY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Everett, countyof Middlesex,C01nmonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Trusses, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,

like characters 011 the drawings representing like parts in each of the several views.

This invention relates to abdominal trusses adapted for use in ordinary cases of hernia such as inguinal hernia. A prime object of the invention is to provide an improved truss that is very easy to adjust properly and comfortable to the wearer and with a capability of'performing its required function reliably and adequately without having to be adjusted so tight as to cause discomfort. A further important object is to provide an improved form of truss pad.

this having preferably associated therewith an improved form of backing plate or member by which it is secured .to its holding straps. A further object is to provide an improved construction of pad backing plate or member equipped with a flexible spring plate preferably of steel. A still further object is to provide an improved form of truss pad capable of being made substantially or relatively flat on its operative face, the form of such pad permitting it to perform its function adequately without having the usual considerably couvexed face that by pressing relatively far into the tissues, tends to weaken the same as well as causin discomfort. The foregoing and other objects and advantages ofthe invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description, and the distinctive features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claim. 1

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a truss constructed in accordance with my invention, with the holding straps therefor, the truss pads being viewed from the inside;

ing my improved truss as it appears from the front; 7

Fig. 3 is a partial perspective view similar to Fig. 1 but showing a modified form; Fig. 1 is a front elevation partly broken screws 20, 21, 22 as is usual.

Fig. 2 is a partial perspective View showaway showing my improved backing plate for the truss pad;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section enlarged on line 5-5 of F ig. 2; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged elevation of the pad itself.

The pad of the present trussis of a special and peculiar form which I have found most effective in use as well as most comfortable for the wearer. This pad indicated at 10 has a relatively wide upper portion 11 with a convex outer edge 12 curving gradually as indicated at 13 down to a lower relatively narrow and pointed extremity 14:, while the inner edge has a somewhat concave formation as seen at 15 extending from said lower extremity to the top of the pad. By reason of this special construction and also partly by reason of the special manner of mounting and holding the pad as presently to be described, the present pad may be made with a relatively flat pressing surface area as best seen in Fig. 5, where the outer pad layer is indicated at 16 with a usual filling 17 of hair or other like cushioning material. The inner layer 18 of the pad may be of cloth or canvas as usual and a thin stiffening plate 19 of steel or the like rests against this canvas backing layer, this metallic plate serving to engage and hold the securing In accordance with my invention this truss pad is secured to a fairly stiff yet flexible plate member indicated at 23 and consisting in a body portion 2% with a strap extension 25 leading from the inner side thereof. The body por tion 24 of this plate member is preferably and as shown, of substantially the same out line as the pad 10 which is secured thereto by the screws 20, 21, 22. This pad holding plate member consists preferably in an intermediate stiffening sheet or plate 26 fitted in a sheath with flexible sheets 27, 28 at the sides thereof and secured together at their edges, these sheets being either of cloth or leather or one, 6. 9., the inner one of cloth and the other, or outer one of leather as stiffening sheet 26 may be of any suitable material such as fiber board or relatively thin plate metal, the prime requisite thereof being a plate or sheet material that combines strength and requisite resistance qualities with a high degree of flexibility so as to may be preferred, while the intermediate 1 make it capable of adapting itself to the form of the wearer. This flexible plate member 23 has secured thereto the ends of the belt 29 which passes around the body of the wearer, one end of this belt being secured at 30 to the head or body portion 24 of the plate while the other end of the belt is passed through a transverse slot 31 in the outer layer of the plate and adjustably engaged by a buckle 32 secured to the outer face of the plate. The leg strap 33 is secured as usual at 3% to an lntermediate portion of the belt from behind and its other is engaged as seen at 35 with a stud carried near the lower extremity of the head 24 of the flexible plate. The lateral or strap extension 25 of the flexible plate is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 36 of some little length through which may be adjustably passed a securing stud of a balancing pad 37 spaced from the truss pad 10, or in cases of double hernia another truss pad 10 similar to the pad 10 may be adjustably secured by a stud passing through the slot. The outer surface of the head portion 24: of the flexible plate is preferably covered by a protecting metallic plate 38, this cooperating with the inner metallic plate of the pad for anchoring the securing screws 20, 21, 22. Of these screws, the upper one 20 and the lower one 22 have their heads extended outward so as to serve as studs for securing the ends of the body belt 29 and the leg strap 33 to the pad holding plate. It is to be noted that by the use of the flexible backing plate member 23 with its lateral or strap extension 25, the truss pad is held reliably and evenly in place, and prevented from working edgewise as is apt to be the case where it is held merely by a flexible belt, and thus causing great discomfort to the wearer Thus the present truss combines in large measure the advantages of a truss, the pad of which is held in place by a stiff metallic spring encircling the body with the type wherein the truss pad is held entirely by flexible straps or belts, and without the disadvantages of either, i." 0., the truss pad is held evenly and correctly in place as well or better than it would be by a body encircling spring, while the discomfort and unevenness of such spring is avoided, and the backing plate 23 is flexible and easily adaptable to the body. By'having the truss pad formed with a depending and relatively pointed lobe 13, and having the leg strap secured to this depending lobe, the lower portion of the pad may be held pressed inward to the required extent for performing its function with a minimum of unevenness or discomfort to the wearer, this holding in of the lower point of the pad insuring the retention of the hernia, which as is well known is always most apt to escape at the lower inner edge of the pad. I have found that for the pad 10 a maximum longitudinal dimension from the top to the lower point 14, i. 6., along the line a of about four and one-quarter inches and a maximum transverse dimension, 2'. 6., along the line g of about three and one quarter inches is preferable to produce a pad that is at the same time effective in use and comfortable to the wearer.

lVhile I have described materials and man ner of constructive arrangement of the parts in the form and type which I consider at this time preferable and best for the purpose, I am aware that other materials and details of constructive arrangement may be adopted within some considerable range without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claim rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a truss, a pad presenting a relatively flat pressing face and in outline having an upper body portion with its outer side extending in a convex curve downwardly and inwardly to a relatively pointed extremity and thence upwardly in a concave line, a relatively flexible backing plate to which said pad is secured, having a head portion conforming generally in outline to said pad and having a lateral extension, said backmg plate having incorporated therein a stiffening member, and said lateral extension having an elongated slot therein, a second pad adjust-ably secured in said slot, a body belt secured at its ends to the body of said backing plate and its lateral extension respectively, and a leg strap secured to the clownwardly pointed extremity thereof.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JOHN F. HICKEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

